The Role of Expectations in the Pharmacological Treatment of Depression - An Experimental Investigation
Status
Completed
Conditions
Major Depressive Episode
Treatments
Other: Film sequence
Other: Placebo nasal spray
Details and patient eligibility
About
The study aimes at identifying whether positive expectations have an impact on the way depressive participants experience emotions in the form of sadness.
Enrollment
94 patients
Sex
Female
Ages
18 to 65 years old
Volunteers
No Healthy Volunteers
Inclusion criteria
- major depression (mild to moderate)
- fluent in German language
Exclusion criteria
- bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder, substance dependence
- cardiovascular disease, severe kidney or liver disease, epilepsy
- change of psychotropic medication intake within the last four weeks
- allergic to capsaicin
- allergic to sesame oil
- students in medicine, pharmacy, or psychology in their third year or older
- completed studies in medicine, pharmacy or psychology
Trial design
Primary purpose
Basic Science
Allocation
Randomized
Interventional model
Parallel Assignment
Masking
Triple Blind
94 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group
Positive placebo group
Experimental group
Description:
Participants receive a placebo nasal spray. However, they are told that it protects from experiencing negative emotions. Participants watch a film sequence that is supposed to induce sadness.
Treatment:
Other: Placebo nasal spray
Other: Film sequence
Placebo control group
Placebo Comparator group
Description:
Participants receive a placebo nasal spray and are told that it is a placebo. Participants watch a film sequence that is supposed to induce sadness.
Treatment:
Other: Placebo nasal spray
Other: Film sequence
No-treatment control group
Other group
Description:
Participants do not receive the nasal spray. Participants watch a film sequence that is supposed to induce sadness.
Treatment:
Other: Film sequence
Trial contacts and locations
2
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Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov
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